Table 1. Socio-demographic, psychological, health and injury-related characteristics of participants in the sub-acute phase, stratified by age-group (n = 64).

Parameters	Older (≥65 yrs) n = 55	Younger (18–64 yrs) n = 309	P-value
Sex			0.28
Male (n = 135)	24 (44%)	111 (36%)
Female (n = 229)	31 (56%)	198 (64%)
Education*			0.04
Tertiary qualified (n = 100)	9 (16%)	91 (30%)
Not tertiary qualified (n = 263)	46 (84%)	217 (71%)
Paid work status			<0.001
Yes (n = 227)	5 (9%)	222 (72%)
No (n = 137)	50 (91%)	87 (28%)
Body mass index			0.98
Underweight (n = 28)	4 (7%)	24 (8%)
Normal (n = 128)	19 (35%)	109 (35%)
Overweight/ obese (n = 208)	32 (58%)	176 (57%)
Smoking			0.05
Yes (n = 51)	3 (6%)	48 (16%)
No (n = 311)	52 (95%)	259 (84%)
Pre-injury health status			0.005
Excellent/ very good (n = 274)	32 (58%)	242 (78%)
Good (n = 67)	18 (33%)	49 (16%)
Fair/ poor (n = 23)	5 (9%)	18 (6%)
Pre-injury chronic illness			<0.001
No (n = 218)	16 (29%)	202 (65%)
Yes (n = 146)	39 (71%)	107 (35%)
Pre-injury chronic pain			0.41
No (n = 311)	45 (82%)	266 (86%)
Yes (n = 53)	10 (18%)	43 (14%)
New injury severity scale			0.24
Mild (n = 310)	44 (80%)	266 (86%)
Moderate/ severe (n = 54)	11 (20%)	43 (14%)
Admitted to hospital (≥1 night)			0.04
No (n = 295)	39 (71%)	256 (83%)
Yes (n = 69)	16 (29%)	53 (17%)
Whiplash (due to the car crash)			<0.001
No (n = 139)	35 (64%)	104 (34%)
Yes (n = 224)	20 (36%)	204 (66%)
Fracture (due to the car crash)			0.77
No (n = 333)	51 (93%)	282 (92%)
Yes (n = 30)	4 (7%)	26 (8%)
OMPSQ score			0.01
≤50 (n = 207)	40 (73%)	167 (54%)
>50 (n = 157)	15 (27%)	142 (46%)
PRSS score			0.03
<3 (n = 306)	50 (94%)	256 (83%)
≥3 (n = 56)	3 (6%)	53 (17%)

Data are presented as n (%); OMPSQ—Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire; PRSS- Pain-Related Self-Statements Scale-Catastrophizing.